


Shoot.

by Haewkes



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avi getting the attention he deserves, Budding Relationship, Crushing, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Good boys taking care of each other, Hair Pulling, Kissing, Love advice from people with minimal experience, M/M, Nicknames, Pining, Secret Relationship, Slow Burn, and dealing with the pining in a bad way, aromantic Johann, beach party turned sour, bro'ing out, canon conversations, datecrashing, friends with innocent benefits, grease monkey Avi, hugs and cuddling, magnus burnsides is a touchy man
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2018-12-13 09:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11757378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haewkes/pseuds/Haewkes
Summary: Avi finally found his place upon the moon. Then suddenly, one day, one of the spheres bring something up that takes his place right back down on earth.





	1. Brandy buckling knees.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm into this rarepare like, no joke. I also love Avi so damn much he deserves his own damn story arc. Good thing im here, to mix and mingle this up real nice.

Avi liked his job, he absolutely, truly and honestly did. But sometimes it felt like he was just meant to be a nameless side character in someone else's story.  
He wore the exact same uniform as all the other guards. Did the same training, had the same shifts, and retired in the same barracks.

Somehow the idea of working for a secret world saving moon base bureau had sounded so much... cooler than it actually was.

Still, Avi wasn't one to complain. But that didn't mean he didn't jump for the opportunity as soon as the job as Cannon Guard opened up.  
According to the job description, he was supposed to stand guard for the reclaimers, seekers and regulators coming up and down from the BoB. Meaning he could talk to people, right?  
He could no longer stay on guard for hours a day like some kind of Buckingham palace guard, he liked moving, he liked talking to people. He liked to think he was a pretty cool dude, but he wasn't a dude made of stone.

Sadly, it turned out that being a Cannon guard wasn't too different from being a normal guard. He was supposed to follow the example from the senior Cannon guard, Midu, a man who was well known under the guards to be one of the bureau's most stoic employees.

Midu stood rigid, on the right and Avi stood rigid, on the left.  
After 2 hours, Midu stood rigid, on the right and Avi's knees were buckling.

It soon became clear that the secrecy of the moon base meant a minimum of trafficking between the earth and back. And Avi started hiding booze in his inner pocket and fell asleep during the job because the entire thing depressed him so much he lied awake at night.  
Midu took pity on him after a week and let him try out some of the maintenance work on the vehicles that he normally took care of; testing and cleaning out the engines because by the gods, they broke down often.

And Avi liked that a lot. It reminded him of his home in Brandybuck, his uncle had been a mechanic too and he had always loved to help the man out.

In fact, his knowledge and skill impressed Midu so much that the old man backed off and let the younger guard take over that part of the job. Avi sat down for days, tinkering and improving whatever he was allowed to work with. He got himself a pair of goggles and asked for books on the subject from the Director.

And she gave in, only worried that he might slack on his guarding duties. So she summoned both Avi and Midu to her office, rearranging their job requirements, and leaving the two gentlemen to what they did best. Midu only needed Avi on guard when passengers arrived. He could call for him. The only requirement was that Avi didn't stop his training and stayed in shape. Avi was, no pun intended, over the moon. The training was no problem, he liked lifting some weights, actually.

Avi was now the Bureaus Cannon manager. He grew his hair out, no longer needing a short cut now he was no longer a uniformed guard. Bound the curls back into a high bun when he worked on the engines, needing none of it in his eyes. His friends complimented him on it, when he went to have a drink with him, Johann told him he looked like a regular grease monkey like in the movies, whatever the movies were.  
Carey poked at his bun as she spotted him wearing it for the first time, telling him it was 'a look' and that it would totally 'get him all the babez'

He started feeling more like an individual, which gave him a little more confidence. That was what the BoB did with you, it made you or broke you, and the result was whatever you made it. And Avi the Cannon Manager sounded kind of cool, didn't it?

Avi had been smearing the engines on the day that the three reclaimers came to the Bureau for the first time. His hair was a mess and there was smear on his face, but the button down guard outfit was clean as he had hastily put it on. It had been a while, and he could feel the familiar presence of his brandy flask against his chest.  
Having been in a hurry, his heart still thumped loudly in his chest as he tried to pull his face into a stoic expression that matched his fellow guard. Midu didn't smile at him, but he had his eyebrows slightly raised, which Avi could read by now as 'you goof'.

He gave a deep breath of relief as it was simply Killian who stomped out of the cannon ball. Then she turned around and started talking and Avi's heartbeat picked up again in excitement. New recruits! He had heard about this.

Killian ran down the stairs, giving Avi's shoulder a friendly kind of bump as she passed.

“Say hi.” She whispered.

Avi turned to the three unfamiliar figures that walked down the stairs unsteadily. A dwarf on the left, small, as they are, greying with a beard and round glasses. He was wearing clothes like someone just ripped him out of his beach holiday.  
In the middle stood an Elf, he was leaning on some kind of umbrella and his hair was plaided over his shoulder. He had a ridiculous pointy hat, but somehow he just... made it work. On the Elf's right stood a man so big that Avi actually had to move his gaze up, his hair was messy and mingled with intense... sideburns?

Somehow _that_ struck Avi as the strangest thing about the three, and only when the human man caught his gaze he realised that he's been staring. He truly hoped that it could be played off as stoic guard demeanour, but as he blinked and started slightly, he realised that he had played himself.  
He started walking, his hand going to the inner pocket of his jacket and grabbing instinctively for his brandy flask. As he came closer, he could see three pairs of eyes looking up at him, one of them bright and questioning, one of them hooded and suspicious, and one of them intense, but... kind.

Avi pulled out the flask like a last resort and just kind of held it out to them.

"Here uh, you guys should uh, you guys should drink this. It’s— trust me, it’ll help."

The elf grabbed it like a lifeline, making Avi take back a little in surprise.

"Oh, uh, ok. Eager beaver."

The elf smiled, holding the flask to his nose. "I hope this is Go-Gurt."

Avi chuckled, confused. "Uh, it’s- it’s not, it’s brandy, but it’s uh, it’ll help."

The elf actually winked and took a large gulp. Then sighed deeply, almost resigning.  
"Everything tastes like Go-Gurt, darling."

Avi didn't really do judging, but decided that the Elf was either batshit, or trying out some kind of power-play.

The elf obviously gave no shits, as he crossed his legs and took another sip, looking unblinkingly at Avi. Avi wavered, looking away, thinking; 'Okay, power-play it is.'

The other guys seemed used to it, just waiting patiently. The dwarf smiled at Avi, shrugging a bit hopelessly, Avi smiled back.

"I'm full," the elf then declared, "I'll pass it over to, um, Magnus."

The big guy, Magnus, Avi mentally noted, took a swig from the flask, then pulled back and looked at Avi with widened eyes, he seemed impressed, like he really enjoyed it.

Avi grinned proudly, scratching his neck and feeling the need to explain himself.

"That is delicious brandy, that’s uh, that’s from my hometown of Brand- Brandybu- Brandybuck."

"I’m really glad you’re not from Phandalin." Magnus chuckled, a bit humourlessly.

Avi's brows crossed, "Why is that?"

A flush spread over Magnus' cheeks rapidly and he looked the other way. He seemed guilty and upset and Avi almost felt bad for asking.

"No reason."

Avi, wanting to level with him said; "I’ve got an uncle in Phandalin, uh, were you just there?"

The elf laughed and smacked Magnus' bicep, Avi just stared stupidly.  
"Correction, darling, you had an uncle in Phandalin!"

Avi blinked and opened his mouth, looking from the elf to the dwarf, and back to Magnus, who was frowning and pulling his arm away from the elf.  
  
"Oh, uhh-" Avi managed,

Magnus leaned forward and passed Avi his flask back, giving him the same kind yet intense look he gave him earlier accompanied by a little supportive pat on the arm.  
"He was probably away on business, he’s probably fine."

"Well I didn’t – I mean, he wasn’t like my favourite uncle or anything, but uh –" Avi stammered.

Magnus was already smiling again, giving him a thumbs up. "Good news!"

The dwarf huffed, pulling Avi's attention for the first time since he walked over. Something about the beach garb and the flowers in his beard were familiar.

"Just check with the executor of his will, I mean, just sayin’."

Avi snorted, holding the flask up to him. The dwarf shook his head frantically.

"None for me, none for me." He said.

"Are you sure?" Said Avi, capping the flask closed.

"Yeah, I’m a cleric, I- I need to set an example for my coworkers."

Beach dwarf, Cleric. Suddenly it clicked, and Avi grinned widely at the realisation.  
"You’re Merle, right? I heard a rumour that you had 1,999 party points."

Magnus and the elf burst out in laughter, soon Merle joined in as well and Avi chuckled along as the dwarf grabbed for his flask.

"Okay, one little drink."

"No, listen, I don’t want to peer pressure you. If you don’t want it, that’s fine." Avi assured him.

"Most of those party points deal with piñatas." Merle admitted, but he still drank like he knew how to party quite well.

Avi smiled at the three of them. He took the flask back from Merle and put it back into his breast pocket. They all looked at him like they were expecting something else from him, but he had no idea what to tell them except...

"I know things are gonna be pretty confusing for a little while, I know that you’ve got the- the static-y stuff going on, I know that you’re kinda dizzy. And uh, listen, every single person that you’re gonna meet up here, you know, went through the same thing, so don’t worry. Trust me, it’s gonna get a lot, a lot better really soon, and we’re all really, really excited to have you."

Magnus turned to his partners on the left, and Avi could hear him whispering; "Do you guys know this guy?"

Merle turned to the right and said to the Elf; "Taako, use your- your ways, get some information."

Avi felt himself flush pink in embarrassment, he hadn't even introduced himself yet, and was figuring out all of their names by other means, so it hadn't even occured to him.

"Sorry, my name is uh, Avi."

The elf, undoubtedly Taako, then, started cackling. "There you have it! He wasn’t going to say that, and I made him say that."

"Ah- fee?" Merle tried.

"Avi. A-V-I, it’s uh, it’s uh, yeah. It’s actually a very common name in Brandy...buck." He trailed off,

"After everything’s over, why don’t you guys come find me if you, ya know, want to hang out, or whatever. I like to-"  
  
"We'll bro out." Magnus said then, and grinned at Avi with a broad smile.

Avi kind of halted at that, then grinned cheerfully. These guys were mad interesting, he'd actually really, really like that.

"Yeah, we’ll just, you know, lift some weights or something. Whatev- whatever you guys like to do. It’s all up to you. I like to lift some weights, so that’s why I suggested that."

Taako looked like he was zoning out, Merle's expression turned slightly pained at the mention of weightlifting. It was just Magnus who gave him a double thumbs up, and a big smile.

"That sounds totally great," he said, and actually looked like he meant it, "We need a minute just to process everything that’s going on though, so like… I think we’re good."

Avi nodded rapidly, and turned around as he heard heavy footsteps behind him. It was Killian.

"Okay, you guys are clear! Uh, just uh, follow me, and we can get this show on the road." She said.  
  
"Bye, Aa-vi!" The elf Taako said, dragging his name out like the pronounciacion of his own.

Merle kind of waved to him.

  
Magnus lingered behind just a little longer than the other two, then patted Avi on the shoulder as he followed her.

"Nice to meet you guys, you seem like real sweet dudes." Avi called after them.  
  
Taako turned his head back towards him and grinned, showing off large gapped teeth. Somehow he worked that too. Weird. "Right on!" The wizard cheered, raising his umbrella up slightly.

Magnus turned around as well and gave him a thumbs up and a wink.

Then Merle tried to turn, but nearly stumbled into Killian.

Avi walked after them, back to his post, barely hiding his smile. Midu was raising his brows at him.


	2. Just ducky

The next three days Avi was fighting a losing battle with the engine of the Bureau’s oldest cannon pod.  
His he had blisters on his hands from the tools, was blackened all over with grease and tar, his back was sore and he was tired, so tired.

He had skipped his guard training that morning, which he was probably already getting shit about tomorrow. But now he was dreading next morning as well. Training started early, and all he wanted now was a solid two hundred hours of sleep. He wasn't even close to finding the reason why the damned thing wouldn't keep running.

He dropped the wrench out of his hand and groaned deeply as he let himself drop down on his back. He let his eyes close for just a second, just the littlest tiniest of seconds.  
Then came awake with a start as someone above him cleared his throat, slightly uncomfortably which must have been hours later.

“I’m sorry. Is this a bad time? I can come back later?”

Out of any other mouth the question would’ve sounded sarcastic. But this was Magnus. Avi scrambled to a sit, wiping his mouth clean from the drool that had undoubtedly gathered there.

“Oh- hey! No you're fine. I'm sorry, I, um, shouldn't have been sleeping on the job on the first place.” He stammered, blinking up. He moved to stand up, but Magnus sat down next to him first.

“Well it is pretty late. Pretty sure you're outside office hours anyway.” He said, placing a heavy hand on Avi’s shoulder to keep him down. “So, What’cha doing?”

Avi sighed, shaking his head. “Wasting my time on this outdated piece of rust. I've literally spent day and night on this thing, but I just can't figure it out. It just, won't start working.”

Magnus hummed at him nodding at him. “That explains. A lot,” he said, chuckling awkwardly as Avi gave him a curious look.  
“Yeah so, like, Taako and Merle were kind of doing their own things, right? Figuring stuff out, making themselves comfortable, meeting new people, you know?”  
Magnus was picking up Avi’s wrench, turning it this way and that, like it held some secret code.  
“So I thought about what you said, right? Hanging out? You like lifting weights, I like lifting weights, seemed like a sweet deal.” He was smacking it into his palm now. Avi followed the movement like he was under a spell.  
“You seemed like a cool dude. So I thought to myself; ‘hey, if I bump into that guy again I’ll ask him to hang.’ Except, well... You weren't really ‘bumping into’ material. Were you really here for three entire days? Doesn't it like, get boring?”

Avi laughed at that. “Honestly? So damn boring. But I just want it done, you get? It's my job and I want to do it right. But when it doesn't work out it's so. Ugh. It's just a piece of shit metal, right? But it's owning my ass.”

Magnus considered him, then said after a little pause in what seemed to be complete earnesty; “Do you want me to beat the shit out of it?”

Avi raised his brows at him, completely taken aback. Then burst out in giggles. “What? No!”

“I’m serious!” Magnus assured him, grinning at him with very white teeth, laughing as Avi took the wrench out of his hands. “If it’s bothering you, I'll take care of it, alright? That's what I do!”

Avi was still smiling. “Beating the shit out of it would be satisfying, sure. But I'm aiming for the opposite direction here.”

“Alright, fine.” Magnus said, crossing his legs and scooting closer to Avi. “I may not be a mechanic, but I have a practical mind. And I like helping. Let me try to help.”

“Well I mean sure-” Avi started, but Magnus was already pulling the manual closer to him.

“So it won't start, or….”

“Oh it starts,” Avi said, nodding. “But then it shuts off after ten seconds, losing the anti-gravity force. It would drop down like ye olde cannonball. No pun intended.”

“And that’d suck.” Said Magnus, nodding with pursed lips as he skimmed through the thick book.

“Exactly.”

Magnus skimmed a little longer, his brows furrowed and his lips pouted. He had full lips, Avi noticed, absurdly. His lashes were long too, they twitched as he blinked, barely tapping the burly man’s sun freckled cheeks. En profil, the reclaimer looked young and…chill.

Magnus slammed the book shut, making him jump in surprise. He turned towards Avi, the large scar over his eye on the right turning the boyish face into that of a worn man as quick as a flash of lightning. Something in the intensity of Magnus eyes made him seem like he had been alive for over a hundred years. Avi just watched him, wide eyed.

“Okay, so I don't get any of this.” Magnus admitted. “But that doesn't matter. Listen, how about you explain me how this thing works, okay? At one point you’ll find the thing that's off, and we can work from that.”

Avi nodded. “Like an advanced test procedure. I dig it, but.. that's going to take a long time. Are you ready for that?”

Magnus shrugged his shoulders and grinned at him. “Well I’m free. Let's see how far we come, yeah? Should I like, light you up or something?”

Avi pulled his torch from his back pocket, slamming it twice on his hand before it started working. He then handed it to Magnus.

And so Magnus lighted him up, and Avi started explaining whatever he was adjusting and fastening and rebooting. And Magnus sat patiently, nodding, humming and staring at Avi like he understood anything of what he was saying.

And then, after what must have been longer than an hour, Avi pulled out a long tube and Magnus said;  
“Oke wait, Avi? Stick your thumb into one end real quick.”

And Avi tilted his head, confused, but did what he was asked.

But then Magnus blew into the other end, hard and… oh. Air came out. Not from Avi’s thumb, but from a tiny little hole in the tube that should most definitely not be there.

“Oh, shit.” Avi said, placing his other thumb on top of the spouting hole.  
Magnus let go of the tube and grabbed the roll of duct tape from Avi’s toolbox, wrapping the tube up nicely.

“This won't do, I'll have to order another one.” Avi fussed.

“It's good for now!” Magnus assured him, “Turn it on?”

So Avi turned it on. And it started. And it ran. And it kept running, 1...2...3…  
He turned to face Magnus only to see him soundlessly mouthing along the count to ten as well. And they passed the ten. And then the 20, 25 and 30. And then Avi turned it off.

“It- it's working.” He said, flabbergasted.

Magnus was laughing, happy and excited. Then held out his fist to bump Avi’s. Avi immediately indulged him. “We did it!”

“I can't believe I've been sitting on something as stupid and small as this for three damn days!” Avi whined.

“Isn't it always the stupid and small things? I've heard of people doing this before, you know? Just explaining the thing to someone, or… something until they find the error. I've even heard they use rubber duckies for it.”

“Duckies.” Avi chuckled, incredulously.

“Yeah, duckies! Don't underestimate ducks, Avi.” Magnus said to him sternly.

“Well I guess it helped,” Avi admitted, grinning as he started to close the sphere’s engine up. “I guess if I get stuck next time, I’ll go for some duck expertise.”

“Or, you could ask me.” Magnus said, smiling at Avi as the guard turned around to him.

“You don't mind?”

“Nah! You're cool, Avi! I'll be your ducky any day, you just have to ask.”

Avi grinned, ducking his head a bit shyly as he flung his wrench inside his toolbox. “I hope you weren't hoping on lifting any weights right now. I’m not gonna lie, I'm pretty beat.”

Magnus shook his head reassuringly. “No man, you need to get yourself some of those good z’s. We’ll cross paths soon, yeah? Hang out properly, less… worky.”

Avi chuckled at him, raising to his feet and dusting his pants off. “I’ll make sure to actually bump into you this time.”

Magnus followed his example, offering him a hand which Avi took almost instinctively. Magnus pulled him into a half-hug. It didn't really shock him; Magnus did look like the huggy kind.

But as they pulled back, Magnus was looking at him. Looking intensely, open and honest and Avi found himself staring back wideeyed. Then Magnus’ brows furrowed and he let go of his hand.

“Actually, Avi, wait up,” he said, reaching that same hand up to Avi’s face, “You got a little grease right there."

Avi let out a stuttering laugh as Magnus brushed his thumb over his cheek. Quickly shying away from the touch. “Always, all over. Don't even worry about it, it’ll come off with a wash.”

“Alright,” Magnus smiled, backing off.

Avi ran a quick hand over his face, undoubtedly making the damage worse.  
“Part of the job, you get?”

“I get,” Magnus assured him, “should I- uhh…” he made a vague hand gesture toward the door.

“Oh, uh, nah, wait up. I'll close up real quick and we can leave together.”  
  
“Sure.” Said Magnus, shrugging a bit before sticking his hands deep into his pockets.

So Avi rounded up, rolled the sphere back into it’s station, collected his tools back into the box, and stuck the book under his arm.

“Okay, ready and set.” He told Magnus finally, slamming him on his broad back. Magnus just grinned at him widely as he moved away from the glass window he had been staring through. He looked a little pale.

“It's crazy right? All the glass here, like, you could crack through any minute.” The big guy explained as they walked down the stairs towards the exit.

Avi hummed at him, “Yeah, kinda? But I guess you get used to it?”

Magnus huffed, “Boy, I hope soon. Do you need me to hold something for ya-”

Avi was already stowing the toolbox into Magnus’ arms, fetching his keys from his back pocket. “Yeah, please. Hold this real quick.”

The Bureau grounds were quiet, and the climate had been set to a chilly temperature. Avi felt the goosebumps collecting over his bare arms. He had just been wearing a tanktop in there. He shivered, Magnus looking down at him worriedly.

“You alright?”

“Let’s get inside real quick.” Avi said, hugging the book against himself for the warmth for a little moment before grabbing his toolbox back from Magnus.

“Here.” Magnus said, stripping the leather jacket he was wearing over his sweater to drape it over Avi’s shoulders before he could protest.

“Looks good on you too! Really completes the whole rowdy mechanic look.” Magnus assured him, winking.

Avi felt his face glow a little warm, and gave the other man a lopsided smile. “Thanks, Magnus.”

They made their way to the sleeping dome together, Magnus excitedly pointing out dog and bear related signs along the stars.

They reached their rooms sooner than Avi’d have liked, tired as he was. He thanked Magnus again and offered his jacket back.

“Nahh, keep it for now, it looks cool on you. Just give it back later.”

“Sure?” Avi asked, raising his brows.

“Sure.” Magnus said. “See you later, Aviator.” He grinned, gesturing to his head before waving his goodbye.

Avi reached for his hair and felt his goggles snugly on top. He smiled stupidly after the man that was broad enough to make a jacket look oversized even on him.

It smelled like burning wood.


	3. A Blast of a Beach Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im in the middle of moving out, but dead set on finishing this fic! Thanks so much for all your comments, it means the world!!

The next morning, Avi slept in. He took another long shower, even though he had already taken one that night. He shaved and combed out his hair and he was clean. So very clean, far cleaner than usual.

He picked up fantasy bagels and orange juice for breakfast and sat himself down on a wooden bench in the bureau’s Quad, listening to increasingly angry voicemails on his stone of farspeech about breaking regulations. Fine, message received, he shouldn't have been slacking on guard duty.

Avi sipped from his OJ almost miserably, stuffing the stone back into his back pocket. In hindsight just doing what was expected from him would have been way more profitable than getting those two extra hours of sleep. But it had still been so good.

He rummaged in the paper bag in front of him and pulled out a richly filled bagel. Mayonnaise dripped over his chin and he sighed through his nose.

“Aviii!”

Then he nearly choked, feeling a large hand slamming down on his shoulder. Quick as an overgrown rabbit, Magnus slung himself over the seat of the picnick table.

“Avi, you got to check out my new axe, it's called Railsplitter and in cuts trees in a single chop, can you believe- Ooh is that juice?”

Avi pushed his juice forward, allowing the burly fighter a sip of his good stuff.

“You seem excited. Understandably, it's a very nice axe.” Avi smiled, blinking a bit as Magnus placed the discussed axe right on top of the table and ran his palm over it proudly. Magnus nodded, then tilted his head.

“You look like a man who's first action of the day is eating a bagel. A delicious looking bagel, I might add. Didn't you have training this morning?”

Avi shrugged, taking another bite and managed through a filled mouth; “I dith haff a showah forst-” then swallowing. “I have another one, you can have it, no need to puppy eye me.”

“Wouldn't dare.” Magnus said, grabbing for the paper bag.

“I want my juice back, though” Avi warned.  
Magnus pouted at him, scooting the carton back.

“So, you free today or something?” Magnus asked, biting eagerly into his bagel.

“For like, 2 more hours.” Avi said, shrugging, “I was thinking of maybe going for a run planetside, but it’s Midu’s- the other guard’s- day off. And that means I ought to shoot down myself, and the Director doesn't like that very much.”

Magnus hummed, chewing thoughtfully. “You come down very often?”

Avi took a bite, shaking his head. “Not really, has been a while. Usually don't have the time for it. People tend to, uh, come and go, and after business hours I'm, well, I'm usually not up for it anymore.”

“So what else do you do for fun?” Magnus asked, leaning on his palm as he ate from the other hand. The sauce was spilling over his fingers and Avi watched it dribble down between his fingers in small streams. He licked his lips, blinking up.

“Believe it or not, I actually like tinkering. And you know, grabbing a drink with people- Johann, you met him, right? We used to go out for drinks regularly. Now he’s usually just too busy. We all are, busy times you know, ‘specially now the you guys brought the gauntlet back. Things started to get, uh, moving.”

“Avi…” Magnus said, too worried to be chastising. Avi ducked his head and use his juice carton for a cover, a few fresh curls fell into his face.  
”You got to get out more, dude. Cuz you're going to get depressed by the time you're forty. How old are you now again?”

“Twentyseven.” Avi mumbled, “twentyeight coming September.”

“You know what I think, Avi?” Said Magnus, somehow already finished with his bagel. “I think that walk at the planetside has your name on it. There's years and years left for you to be stuck on the moon. You're the canon man, Avi! You have the ability to shoot yourself anywhere! That's a kind of superpower people dream of, and you don't even make good use of it! Imagine all the places you could've eaten that bagel at beside this shitty picnic table here.”

Avi smiled, “Well that's not fair, the BoB has some great grass, you know.” Magnus looked at him, unimpressed.

“You're talking me into trouble,” he chuckled then, rubbing his face before finishing his breakfast. “I skipped my training, I’m already in trouble. They’ll get someone else to do my job.”

“Then I'll take the blame,” Magnus said, shrugging, then laughing as Avi gave him a shocked look.

“What?” Avi asked.

“We can go planetside together, just tell them that I had to go down to do a thing real quick if we get busted. If they do, you just say I pressured you into coming with me.” Magnus said, bending over towards him.

“Are we scheming?” Avi said in a stage whisper, grinning and leaning back playfully.

Magnus looked confused for a split second, then smirked back at him.  
“We’re getting you some time off,” he answered, “while sidestepping the regulations of the BoB, so you can fully enjoy it.”

Both of Magnus’ thumbs were up now, the man himself winking, and Avi felt himself giving in. Magnus offered his hands, opening them up for him.

“Avi?”

Avi took a deep breath, stuffed the carton of juice in the paper bag and took one of Magnus outstretched hands.

“Just… a little bit. There’s not much time.”

Magnus fistpumped and squeezed his hand before letting go and jumping up like a pup excited for it’s walk.

“What are we waiting for then! Let’s go Avicado!”

“Don’t call me that!” Avi laughed, finding himself running after the big guy towards the hangar.

After a bit of deliberation and checking for the absence of witnesses, Avi aimed the cannon straight down, close to a seaside surrounded by woods, close to his hometown. Magnus seemed excited, following his every movement as he bounced behind Avi’s shoulder. Avi swatted at him, secretly already more nervous than he liked to admit.

They got into the shuttle together, buckled up and watched each other closely as they flew down and down with impossible speed. Avi felt his guts churn and flutter and hurt and his knuckles were turned white by the death grip he had on the handle. The handle he pulled, at the perfect time, making the perfect landing as the cannon ball came to a halt in the sand.

“Avi,” Magnus said, sounding worried, “you alright? You look a little pale.”

“Good, good. Yeah, great.” Avi gasped. “It's been a little longer than it should've been, give me a little- just a bit.”

Magnus lingered around for a bit, peeking through the opened door of the pod, and whistling through his teeth.  
“It's really pretty here! Avi you should check this out!”

Avi took a deep breath, wobbling on his legs like a baby deer, and moving to stand beside Magnus.

The reclaimer slung a large arm around his shoulders to ground him, and Avi felt his stomach flutter and jump again.  
“It's still beautiful,” Avi smiled, “I used to come here a lot, way back. It's not- uh, it's not too far from Brandybuck. They call it Brandy Beach, in fact.”

“It looks like a great place to work out. Or go for a run. Or a swim, or a picnic!” Magnus listed excitedly.

Avi shook his head with a laugh. “We only have an hour or so, don't get too carried away.”

Magnus grinned at him, giving his shoulder a bump as he stepped out of the pod. “Yeah sure, but we can come back, right?”

And wasn't he right? Because no matter how Avi thought about it, they were in for a copper, thus in for gold.

So they came back, every two days for nearly three weeks. And they went for hikes and walks and runs and picnics and Avi learned more about the other man than he would ever have thought. Some of it ‘he hadn't even told Taako and Merle yet’ which made Avi feel… special. Appreciated.

Then came the fateful day. They had planned on going swimming, finally. Maybe make it a bit of a contest as they usually liked to do, Avi had actually gone out of his way to buy swimming trunks and had actually been excited to show Magnus some of the places he went swimming as a boy. He knew Magnus liked marine life, he had hoped to show him some of that too.

When he showed up at the hangar, goggles switched for sunglasses, a big bag with towels and swimming clothes and freshly mixed protein shakes, which they were both big fans of, under his arm. There was Magnus.

And Taako. And Merle. And Taako and Merle’s entire beach entourage. Parasols, pillows, sunscreens, brightly coloured rafts and pool noodles, an entire set for building sandcastles, a large coolbox, chairs, an inflatable boat, already inflated.  
Magnus had a sole towel slung over his shoulders, patterned with jellyfish. He walked up to Avi and bit his lip guiltily, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Listen Avi, I'm so sorry. They saw me packing my swim trunks and I just couldn't stop them. I've never seen two individual people share such a passion for the beach.”

“Darling, the sea.” Taako corrected him, hopping closer, umbrella- umbra staff, over one shoulder, a floating raft under his other arm.  
“Avi, my man. The B-o-Beds are awful! Bunker beds, I mean, an abomination if I ever heard of one. Waterbeds, on the other hand…Gods. Watch this elf get his solid two hours of Meditation.”

Merle kept in position, balancing the what looked like complete content of a camping shop on top of a very tiny cart. He raised his hand slightly. “I just like beaches, a lot.”

Avi shrugged and kept his smile, this could still be good. Magnus was a great guy, and though he was still kind of intimidated by Taako, he guessed it would be nice to get to know the other reclaimers better. These were Magnus’ friends! He tried to roll his eyes inwardly at the feeling of heavy disappointment he felt. Ridiculous, the more the merrier, right?

It cost a bit of effort to get all of Merle’s stuff into the pod, and Avi wasn't able to see much of the others as he launched off, the coolbox blocking his vision from his legs. Then the handle got stuck on a pool noodle and they launched deep into the woods, crashed the pod, spent an hour on trying to fix it, then gave up and tried contacting the base. Had no reception, had to hike an hour and a half with all the stuff they had brought and finally were able to get contact with a very disappointed senior guard Midu.

Avi, over 6 foot and build like an exceptionally well maintained BoB guard with a strict training regime, felt like a very very small boy as he sat on the other side of the Director’s desk that night. And yes he knew better. And no, of course he wouldn't go against regulations again, rules were there with a reason after all. He was smarter than that, he would take a month of night shifts, sure. The Bureau of Balance was not above punishment. And Avi wasn't above taking what he deserved.

But he was still bummed as he moved out of the office, and blinked as he walked immediately into Magnus.

“Gods, Avi. I'm so sorry, you told me this was going to happen and I pressured you into it anyway. I wanted to take the blame for it but they wouldn’t let me in and now I ruined all. They didn’t fire you, did they? If they did I’m going in right now. I really fucked this up badly, I’m so sorry Avi. Tell me what I can do for you and I’ll do it, anything. This was a mistake and I’m so-”

“Magnus!” Avi placed his hands onto Magnus chest, chuckling and shaking his head. “Magnus, it’s fine! We had fun right? Of course it was meant to go wrong at some point. I had not expected it to be so soon, but it’s no big deal. You wanted to get me out of here, and you did, and I had fun. Sure it got me in trouble, but it was worth it, one hundred percent.”

Magnus blinked at him and grabbed his hands in his, squeezing slightly. “Thanks, Avi.”

Avi shook his head, “No, thank you.”

Magnus smiled back at him. They were having a moment, Avi realised. That was nice, he would never had thought that was something people actually had in real life.

“Let’s hang out again, okay? Just- at the bureau?”

“You’re on,” grinned Magnus, “soon?”

“Not too soon,” Avi mumbled, freeing his hands to scratch awkwardly behind his neck. “I’ve got a crashed pod to fix and 31 night shifts.”

“Avi,” Magnus said seriously, “Ask me if you need help. With anything.”

Avi nodded, and with another, familiar half-hug, Magnus left for his room.

 

* * *

 

Avi was on his second night shift and regretting everything, including being born, as the three reclaimers were called upon. He dropped his tools and checked his watch only to see that it was an incredibly ungodly hour. If the Director wasn’t way above petty punishments, Avi could’ve sworn this was some sort of payback.

He booted up the cannon system and waved the three over. They all looked tired, but Magnus seemed to be limping because of it.

Avi yawned, then smiled easily at the three as they closed in, no hard feelings, they were all good dudes.  
“Hey guys, what's up?”

Magnus just kept walking, walking, then an arm slung over his shoulder and pressed his forehead into the space it created. Avi froze.  
“Avi, I’m real fucked up.”

Avi licked his lips, raising his brows at the other two reclaimers from over Magnus’ shoulder. “Oh, dang. What… what happened to this guy?”

Merle smiled into his fist, mumbling something about a dog that bit him, which didn’t help Avi at all. Magnus was rubbing his nose into the crook of Avi’s shoulder, and his beard and sideburns tickled his neck. They were soft rather than prickly, a fact that shouldn't have surprised Avi as much as it did. Magnus was breathing hard, and honestly, Avi felt more like taking the big guy back in bed than into a pod.

“You’re not really supposed to, like, get on one of these if you're…” he started, pausing as Taako and Merle gave him squinted looks. “I mean, I won't tell-”

Then Magnus lifted his head, sighing loud and slurred; “I’ll be fiiiiiiine!”

Taako and Merle started chuckling. Avi pet the man on the back, eyebrows furrowed.

“Okay… you kinda sound like, uh, some kind of wolf-man”

Magnus nestled himself back into his neck, his arm still draped so over his shoulder like he was going to fall back asleep right there.

“It's totally coooooool, duuuude.” He muttered.

Avi shifted slightly, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. “Hey, why are you, why is it whisper time now?”

“Sshhh… shhhh… shhhhh.” Magnus answered him.

“Okay,” Avi complied, petting Magnus’ head. Then decided to seek help from the other two. “Uh, do you guys-”

“Avi… Avi… Avi… Avi…” Magnus whispered right to his ear. Avi could hardly contain a shiver, and croaked out; “Uh, yeah?”

For a bit it seemed like Magnus had fallen asleep after all, then he nuzzled Avi yet again and whispered a soft but sincere; “You’re great.”

Avi laughed at that, pushing Magnus away a little. “Haha, thank you! Yes, thank you.”

“You’re his best friend!” Merles told him, which was probably teasing and shouldn’t have caused a happy jump of Avi’s heart.

“I think you guys are pretty-” he started, humbly, still pushing.

Magnus would have none of it and actually slung a second arm around Avi.  
“I really, I think you’re… a cool duuuuude.”

“Yeahhh.” Avi mumbled, feeling more and more lost as the elf and the dwarf kept laughing at them.

“Avi!” Magnus then whispered sternly, making Avi shoot up straight.

“Yeah?”

“Do you wanna go on a mission?”

Avi sighed, remembering his 29 night shifts and the broken pod and shook his head against Magnus’ neck. “I can’t. I’m not… I can’t. It’s my job to-”

“Okay,” Magnus said, completely ignoring him. “We’ll meet you down there.”

“Well, I won’t be able to-” Avi tried again, wondering to himself where and when he gained all this patience.

“Avi!” Magnus said, sternly again. “Be cool for two seconds.”

Avi scoffed, considered the enormous man draped over him, and said, more to himself than any of them; “I think I'm being pretty cool.”

“Just, Avi.” Magnus tried.

“Yep?”

“Shhh shhhh shh shh… be cool for two seconds.”

Taako lost it and made his way past Magnus and Avi to walk up the stairs.

Avi slouched under the heavy body of his friend, patting his back fondly.

“Okay.” He sighed.

“We’ll see you down there.” Magnus said, hugging him tight before finally releasing him all at once.

“I won-” Avi tried once again, then got completely shut up by a finger in front of his lips.

“Don’t, shhh… Avi? It's a secret mission. Shhh shhh shh shh shh shhhhhh. We’ll see you down there.” He then dropped his finger and winked at him, ridiculously accenting it with a high pitched “Wink!”  
Then another, “Wink! You're a cool dude.”

Avi just watched him in unbelief, flustered. This was nothing like the Magnus he had learned to know the past weeks, and he was sort of angry yet thankful at whoever had brought him into this state.

Merle took the big guy by the arm and dragged him up the stairs after him. “That’s okay, we got him, we got him.”

Avi walked behind them, trying not to laugh as Magnus kept throwing him winks over his shoulder.

“It seems like you’re having a great time. I would wink back but I can’t uhm, never learned how! Uhhhm, no I-”

Taako turned around. “Do you have any of that brandy we could take with us though?"

“No. It’s like, it’s like three in the morning, I’m actually gonna cut you guys off, um.”

“You’re cut of!!” Magnus yelled at him.

They were both cut off. And that truth kind of hurt when screamed directly at you. Avi rubbed his face. “I don’t - you don't have to go home, but you can’t stay here because I’m about to fire you out of a cannon.” He trailed off as they halted in front of the pod, and Magnus started plaiting the messy ponytail on the back of his head.

“Um, uh, have you guys used one of these before, is this your first time, getting, uh gettin’ shot? Getting blasted?”

Shit no. Of course it wasn't. That was the whole reason they were cut off. Avi turned around, and lowered Magnus’ hands.

“Well obviously we’ve been blasted before.”

“Yeah clearly.” Avi mumbled, shaking his head slightly at Magnus.

“No cannons though.” Taako said cryptically.

“No cannons.” Merle smirked.

Avi was too tired for this, he tapped at the sphere to open it and gave Magnus a little push inside.  
“Okay! Well it’s, uh, it’s pretty easy, guys! Uh, just, uh- pop- pop in-”

Magnus dropped down in a chair and immediately fell into snores. Avi chuckled at him, then frowned slightly as Merle pulled his legs up the other chair, laying him down. Avi pulled him back up.

“Ooh, careful man, if you do that, you’ll definitely die.”

Magnus curled an arm up into his hair, pulling him closer, and Avi’s eyes turned impossibly wide. “Shhhh shhh shhh shh.” Magnus hushed him. Avi blinked, feeling every puff of breath from Magnus’ nose on his own face.

“It’s okay, let him...” Merle sighed, confusing Avi into wondering if he meant the chairs or the hand he was desperately untangling from his hair.

“I’ll buckle him in on both seats.” Merle reassured him.

Taako moved on his chair impatiently, his mood clearly having turned around. “Why is this a thing? Can we just get in the fucking cannon or what? Put him in a seat and-”

Taako was so right, it was so late and Avi was so done. He moved away from Magnus, being called after with a sad; “Avi, be cool!”

Merle was buckling him in like a dad would to his small son, giving him a stern look. “Taako wants action!” He told him.

“I want out! Of this place!” Taako sighed, and if that wasn’t a big mood if Avi ever heard one.

He quickly explained the handle to Taako, even quicker as the doors were already closing. And he prayed to the gods that the elf had heard him properly because a second crashed pod would kill him.

The cannon shot them off.  
Avi sat down on the ground, watched them shoot like a star into the night.  
He pulled the elastic from his hair and wondered what it meant that he had wanted to lean in and kiss Magnus as the other man had pulled him down.

 

 

 


	4. Boundary breaking

They were gone for two days, and Avi was exhausting himself. His late night shifts ended with early morning training followed by a solid 6 hours of sleep before he set out to work on the broken shuttle.

He sat there, goggles fitted snugly on his face as he blindly searched for a tool in his box. Then pulling his hand away like it was burned as he felt the touch of another hand there.

‘Magnus.’ His brain provided him unhelpfully. But as he turned to look it was just a stray glove.

He rolled his eyes, determinedly grabbing for the socket wrench he had been searching for and fastened the nuts that held the cover. He imagined Magnus laughing at him, rolling his eyes right back.

More like a giggle than a laugh, too high pitched to come from a man his size, yet so perfectly fitting, boyish and… cute.  
Avi’s hands worked without thinking, then stilled all at once as if waiting to be commanded. This was bothersome, if anything.

Sure if he was to have a crush on anyone, Magnus was a great candidate. He’d be totally cool about it, gentle and flattered. But Avi wasn't delusional, Magnus wasn't going to like him back. He had made quite clear that his wife had been the only one for him. Still was, even though she was no longer with him. He still wore the wedding ring, for the gods’ sake.

Magnus had told him about Julia. With an almost private smile; fond, but heartbroken. Avi knew now how she had been witty and kind, soft, yet strong, beautiful, skilled and perfect.  
Avi couldn’t help but think that perhaps he couldn't be all that, but he could try to be some of it, if he ever let him.  
For now Magnus was still hers, but perhaps there would come a day where he realised that death was a lost case for the living. That there was more love to find in this life, and closer than he thought.

But if not, that was fine too.  
And there was no need to be depressed about it, because they were friends, and they were close and had fun and they didn't necessarily need to kiss or touch for that. But Gods, Avi wished they could. Dreamed they would, hoped and imagined and if he imagined hard enough, it seemed almost real.

And so he smiled dopily as he polished the metal of the fixed sphere, hyping himself up for the return of the reclaimers. Wishing to see Magnus' cheerful face again, just hang out, spent time, have him give him weird nicknames and half-hugs and wide grins. Hold his hand or have one curl in his hair, even if it was just to mess it up. And Avi’s hands worked on their own, pulling him through yet another day.

“Avi,” he heard his name being called from closer than he had anticipated, raspy and breathy. Midu had just walked up and down the long stairs, shooting off a team of regulators. Avi had half forgotten, and now sat up straight with a surprised start, pushing his goggles up to his forehead.  
“Yeah?”

“Son, are you sick? You're very silent and you keep spacing off... Those night shifts taking a toll on you, huh? I can take over a few, the director doesn't, uh, she doesn't have to know. Especially with you doing the extra work on the shuttle, the uh, sphere. No one wants you to, hm, overexert yourself, Avi.”

Avi stared blankly at the older man. This was easily thrice as much talking to Avi as Midu would usually do to him in a week. He must really have worried him. It was probably the trouble he had been getting into lately. Avi never got in trouble before.

“No, don't worry at all! I'm perfectly fine, actually. A bit tired sure, and a lot on my mind, but hey, don't we all?”

Midu nodded, raising his brows slightly.  
“If you want to talk, Avi.” He said softly, making a vague gesture with his hand.

“Thanks, man.” Said Avi, and smiled at him before putting his goggles back on. Ending the conversation. Midu lingered yet a little longer, doing pointless tasks in the hangar, just to keep an eye on him. And perhaps it was better, because it actually made Avi keep his focus as he was being watched. Though his mind kept wandering.

He couldn't talk about this with Midu, the old man was like a father to him. What he needed right now was some advice from a friend. Someone who knew both Magnus and him, but was an outsider nonetheless. Someone who was a certified expert in lamenting.

And so Avi found himself in the Voidfish chamber later that day, knocking kind of sheepishly on the open door as he found his friend bent over his desk, slouching as he absently inked down notes, like a normal person would doodle abstract curls, on a piece of paper.

“Johann? Are you busy?”

Johann sat up, and turned his head. A lazy smile crossing over his face.  
“Wow, look at that, it's Avi. I've heard a lot of rumours about you lately. Are you rebelling?”

Avi ducked his head, chuckling slightly. “Not at all, just a series of unfortunate events.”

“Like a regular Baudelaire orphan.” Johann muttered, dipping his quill back into the inkwell.

Avi raised a brow, “that's not my-”

“I know,” Said Johann quickly, drawing a last note and placing the quill into a small wooden box, “doesn't matter. I'm not busy, did you want anything?”

“Just chat, do you want to grab a drink?”

Johann hummed lowly and stood up, straightening his back and brushing his sleek long hair behind his ears. “It's been quite a bit, hasn't it? Seems like you were the one being too busy most of the time.”

“I've been told to take more breaks.”

“By the director? After giving you a month’s worth of night shifts?”

Avi pulled a pained face at the mention of them. “No, not her, I’ll tell you all about it in a sec. Uh, barracks or quad?”

“Barracks, it's still light enough for people to come bother me for song requests, and a break is a damned break.”

“Fair.” Said Avi, nodding. “I have, uh, Brandy.”

Johann clapped him on the back, smiling up at him “of course you do.”

The bard let Avi pass outside and locked two doors behind him. Johann asked him about the rumours and Avi sheepishly told him about it, leaving almost every detail out, while they made their way to the barracks.

Avi made his way into his room, which was more like a dorm than anything else.  
Johann shoved some of his tinkering gear to the side and sat himself down on top of Avi’s desk. Avi himself just sat down cross legged on his bed, pouring two plastic cups of brandy on his lap. His dorm mate, a fellow guard but painfully disciplined guy was there only from 22:00 till 6:00 strict. Avi had perhaps, in the three years of rooming with this guy, exchanged two or three words at a max. He basically had the place to himself.

Avi handed Johann a cup, and brought his own to his lips. Taking a few sips somehow easily calmed him down.

“So talk.” Said Johann, taking Avi up curiously from over his plastic cup.

“I’m-” Avi started, scratching the bun on the back of his head. “I guess I need some advice?”

“Shoot.” Johann said, smiling to himself as he swirled his drink, “you’re good at that.”

Avi grinned, then dropped his gaze back to his cup. “Okay uh, so, Johann.”

Johann narrowed his eyes at him, though he still looked fond rather than annoyed. “Yes, Avi.”

Avi licked his lip, and took a breath. “Okay so, imagine you’re into this person, but this person isn’t interested in that kind of stuff, like, at all. How can you find out if they’re, like, still uh, kind of interested after all? In you, preferably.”

“In me?” Johann asked.

Avi blinked, burning a bright red. “In… me.” He clarified, pouring more of the same into his glass to avoid his friend’s eyes.

Johann was smirking as he dared to finally look up. “Avi, you're really precious when you act like a middle schooler in love.”

“L-love?!” Avi spluttered.

“In ‘like’ then. Gods, I always hated that phrase, thanks for making me say that. Still, it haunts you, otherwise you wouldn't bother me with this, right?”

Avi nodded, “Yeah, right.”

“So this person, who are they? What's their name and do I know them?”

Avi picked at his thumbnail. Surely it was silly, but this had been something he kept very close to his chest. A dream, a fantasy. Somehow speaking it out loud felt like it made it realer than he was allowed to make it.

“It's a he…” Avi started, staring at his fingers, “He’s pretty new around here…”

Johann seemed less than thrilled by having to play the guessing name, but then, half a minute later, made Avi jump with his answer.

“Oh. You have a crush on the new reclaimer? Max- no, Magnus?”

Avi opened his mouth, then closed it again and hid his burning cheeks in his palms. “Oh fuck, it’s obvious isn't it?”

“Only so much,” Johann said, honestly. “Not too much newbies, the elf isn't your type, Dwarf’s too old for you. Leaves the buff guy, I guess. I guess I could see why you like him, you got some things in common.”

“Thanks for your blessing.” Avi muttered, still a bit embarrassed. “So now you know, can you help me?”

Johann shrugged his shoulders, “Well with a guy like that I guess it's important that you make very clear what you're up to. Learn what he doesn't mind, and push that a little further to see if he still doesn't. If you can push that to the, ugh, romantic boundary, and he’s still into it, I think you're fine.”

“So like flirting a lot…” Avi mumbled, feeling his courage sink just a little further. “And touching or stuff.”

“Or stuff.” Johann agreed, sipping his brandy. “He’s gone now, right? Go greet him when he comes back. Compliment him on his stuff well done. Boom, you’re on.”

“I guess…” Avi muttered, unsure.

“But I know.” Johann said. “Trust me, this is the way to go.”

  
And so Avi found himself nervous, giddy and on top of the stairs when the three reclaimers returned the next day. His hair combed out and pulled back in a ponytail, face cleaned from grime and dirt and his blue BoB uniform crisp and clean. Midu was off duty, and thus Avi manned the controls of the cannon pod alone, opened the doors of the sphere and was the first one to look into bright, happy eyes as the first reclaimer stepped out.

“Avi!” Magnus said, sounding pleasantly surprised and familiar, making the poor cannon guard’s heart pick up instantly.

The rest of the crew stepped out too, but Avi could hardly look away from Magnus.

“Uh, hey guys, how’d it go?” He chortled.

Taako by stepped Magnus and placed a hand on Avi’s shoulder quick and nearly businesslike. Avi'd nearly never seen the elf not in a hurry.

“Avi, listen,” said Taako, “we need to get to the administrator’s as soon as possible.”

Director, he meant, Avi assumed silently, then raised his brow in surprise. “Did you recover,” he started, realising, “Did you recover a relic?”

He looked back up at Magnus, who grinned widely and nodded at him.

“Yeah!” Magnus said, quickly joined in by Taako’s more impatient “Yeah, for sure.” as he pointed his thumb at the bag on his back.

Avi’s eyes boggled. He had worked here for years and these guys kept dragging in people's life work like it was the easiest thing in the world. Fuck.

“You guys are unstoppable.” He gasped,

Taako smiled, biting his lip a little. “Well…”

Avi wasn't quite done, “You guys, you guys are fucking legends!”

“Yeah.” Merle said, grinning over his crossed arms.

“We’re like a runaway train never coming back.” Taako joked. They laughed.

“I'll get you guys to the Director real quick, follow me.” Avi offered.

Merle was pulling at Taako’s sleeve. “Maybe I should carry it for a bit now, you don't want it to go wrong last minute.”

“I sure don't, that's why I'm keeping it close, amigo.” Taako answered him easily.

They kept bickering and Magnus jogged down the stairs to walk beside Avi.  
“So, Avicado,” He started, smiling.

Avi felt himself smiling more than he should, “Hello, Mango.”

Magnus laughed at him, high pitched and happy and so very sincere. “That's good.” He said, clapping Avi’ back.  
“How’ve you been doing? Bored? Did you miss me?”

Avi grinned back up at him. “If that's what you want to hear, sure.” He said, but made sure to scoot just a little closer to him.

Was this what flirting was like? Because this wasn't too hard? He could be misinterpreting this, this could be just banter between good friends. But even if it was just that... It was fine, wasn't it? Great fun.

Magnus started telling in rapid fire about his heroic deeds on the train the past few days, only to be interrupted by Taako and Merle if he was overselling it. And he didn't have to. At all.

No matter how wild it was, it did seem very like Magnus to climb along the outside of a train and lived to tell the tale.  
There were new cuts running all over Magnus arms, and Avi eyed them worriedly.

“Is that, uh, are you okay?” He said, gesturing vaguely.

“It better be,” Merle popped in, “clinical services eat the money right out of your pockets.

“They could've healed him magically.” Taako said, rolling his eyes, “Though there seems to be some sort of bias against using spell slots these days.”

“I got something for that, not magic or anything- but, like, anti scarring stuff.” Avi tried.

“I don't mind scars,” Magnus said almost defensively. But then he turned towards Avi, and his shoulders dropped. “But I guess it's worth a shot?”

“Hit me up then,” Avi said, grinning unsurely. Patting Magnus on his arm close to where it connected with the bracer.

“Okay, cool.” Said Magnus, “Hangar?”

As if he was ever anywhere else, Avi realised almost sadly. He smiled all the same. “Sure!”

They halted in front of the door of the director’s office.

“Bye Avi.” Taako said, waving at him as he let himself in, Merle hopping in tow.

“See you later!” The dwarf called after him. Avi waved back.

“See you in a bit, yeah?” Magnus said, eyes crinkling up a bit in a smile.

“Yeah!” Avi said. Watching him go as the fighter too left inside the director’s office.

He waited at the hangar for the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon, but Magnus didn't show. Avi wasn't too worried, they did just bring back a new relic and regulations were a bitch.

He retreated in the late afternoon to get some sleep for the night shift of the day, undressed and took his hair down, then curled up into his bed, tired and mindless and shaken as he woke up by knocking on his door.

He frowned and ignored it, burying his face deeper into his pillow, but there was knocking once again.

“Wait up-” Avi called groggily, and pushed himself upright.

He padded over to the door on bare feet and opened the door to Magnus, who was staring at him with wide eyes. “Uh, hey.”

“Oh no, shit, you were asleep. I should've known this, I can go if you want? You weren't at the hangar so I realised you must've headed back. Fuck, sorry. That was dumb.”

Avi huffed, running a hand through his hair and tangling his fingers up in it by accident. “That's alright, I’m already up now anyway. Do you want to come in?”

Magnus stared him down, “Do you want me to? You don't mind?”

Avi shook his head and pulled Magnus inside. There was only so much sleep he could afford to lose.

“Right, I was going to get you that stuff. Wanna have some brandy? I got some of that too.”

“Sure!” Magnus said, moving through the living quarters uncomfortably until he sat down on Avi’s bed. There was some tension between them, and Avi wasn't sure if it was the change of location, the fact that he was in his sleeping wear, or something else entirely.

Avi got him both, and sat down next to him, passing Magnus a glass into his hands and uncapping the bottle of lotion. It would be easier to just give the bottle and let the man do it himself. But hadn't Johann said that this was all about pushing boundaries? If he didn't like it, surely Magnus would stop him.

“Give me your arm?” He said, pulling slightly at the other man.

Magnus turned towards him so they faced each other, and offered his arm out, bending forward slightly which caused Avi to mainly see messy auburn locks.  
He breathed in deeply, this was closer than he thought.

“Okay wait, more like-” he scooted sideways more so he had a better hold of the arm, and squeezed some of the lotion on his hands, warming it up. He started at the bottom, rubbing and kneading carefully over the cuts and bruises on his friend's arm. As he worked his way up, Avi scooted closer daringly, his hands slipping slightly under the fabric of Magnus shirt at the armholes.

Avi looked up, stopping and noticing with a quickening of his heartbeat that Magnus had closed his eyes, and now opened them to look at him. “Is it… uh, just your arms?”

“Do you need me to take my shirt off?”

“Uh,” Avi said, eloquently and most likely the colour of an overripe tomato.

Magnus was already pulling the damn thing over his head, his glass of brandy placed strategically into his lap.

“Um,” Avi said again, squeezing entirely too much lotion in his hands. The naked torso of Magnus Burnsides wasn't new to him at all. But the idea of having his hands all over it gave him more than a little pause.

“Can you reach?” Magnus asked almost worriedly. He set his glass aside and closed a hand around Avi’s upper arm.  
“Just come sit on me, I promise you, nobody has to know."

Avi felt like he was having some kind of fever dream. He came closer, sat himself down discretely on Magnus’ lap, and looked up again to see intense eyes on him.

Panicking, Avi splatted the lotion on Magnus’s chest in one.

His hands worked on autopilot as they would when fixing a cannon pod, his heart beating in his throat. Did Magnus notice?

Magnus just looked down at him as Avi covered every individual wound, but then suddenly reached up with a hand, raking his fingers through Avi’s hair, getting stuck halfway in the tangles of his bed hair.

“Your hair is so pretty! I never notice when you wear it up. It's really soft too, great, really.”

Avi brain just short circuited, he dropped the hands on Magnus’s chest and stared at the man in disbelief. Was Magnus in on this? Did he know? Did Johann tell-

“Okay, uh, Mag. Did, did Johann tell you?”

“What? Who? The violin guy?”  
Magnus’ hand was still in his hair. Nothing about this seemed platonic anymore, but it could be to Magnus all the same. He wasn't sure if pushing boundaries was the way to go with Magnus. He didn't seem to have any.

“Nevermind. Uh, hey, give me your other arm.”

The hand slowly untangled from his hair and Avi continued his work with determination.

“That should be it.” He finally said, allowing Magnus his hand back and clambering off his lap.

Magnus downed his half finished brandy in one, and stood up from the bed. “You’re really great, Avi. Thank you,” he said, smiling and closing in on him with his arms open.

Avi happily indulged the hug, smiling into Magnus’ shoulder until he felt a tickling presence of sideburns on his face and a soft peck on his cheek before Magnus let go.

“Sorry again for waking you, I owe you one, dude. Sleep well now.” He said, smiling so brightly that he couldn't possibly know what he was doing to him.

“That's fine, thanks.” Avi rasped, waving after Magnus as he left the dorm.

He was going to need more advice on this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the feedback!! Im all moved in but have no internet at home till the 7th of september. Im posting this while in the bus, huzzah!


	5. The Try Guys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ive been stressing my arse for like this entire month and everything I wrote seemed like shit but honestly I'm not too dissapointed about the overall result. Uhh, enjoy!

Avi wasn't at the summer solstice. Avi was bundled up in bed, using the annual holiday to get a solid ten hours of sleep like an old man.

And it helped, somewhat, as the next morning he felt, for what must have been the first time in weeks, energised and pumped for his morning workout, early as it was.

He waved hello to Carey, who was practicing some fighting sport out on a dummy and the only other person in the training dome. She grinned back toothily.

After a good warming up and some stretches, Avi set himself down on a bench and loaded heavy weights on a barbell. He rubbed his hands in with magnesium powder and lifted the thing over his shoulders.

By the time he came to doing deadlifts, he was sweaty and panting and Carey wolf whistled at him as she left the dome, a damp towel around her neck.

Avi just grinned at her shyly and dropped the weights back down. A bit sadly, as the gym was now empty except for him, and he had really wanted to do some bench presses as well. Usually Magnus was his trainingspartner, but he seemed to be running late today. No problem, it happened to the best.

Just a bit too disappointed, Avi unloaded the barbell and switched over to some dumbell training. Still no Magnus.

Avi was just starting on his cooling down run on the treadmill, when Magnus rushed in. He was panting slightly and brushing plastered messy hair away from his forehead. Yet he was not nearly as sweaty as Avi was.

“Noooo,” Magnus complained, walking over to him and pulling the treadmill to a stop with the safety magnet. “Don’t tell me you’re already finishing up?”

Avi took a minute to catch his breath, then turned to Magnus. “You shouldn’t shut it down like that. It’ll break.”

“Aw, it’ll live.”

“Mechanic knows best.” Avi said wagging a finger.

“A treadmill is nothing like a cannon pod.” Magnus mumbled, stubbornly.

“They both have emergency brakes, which they don’t like having pulled.”

Magnus grinned at him, his eyes twinkling mischievously as he leaned over the machine’s handlebars. Avi opened his mouth for yet another quip, then closed it again and just chuckled stupidly at the other man. His heart beat so loudly in his chest that it rang through to his ears, though that was most likely because of the run he just had. “Fine, I guess you have my attention.”

“Sorry I’m late,” Magnus then said, of all things, scratching at his half-beard, “I overslept, had a bad night. What happened last night kept me awake till the early morning, honestly.”

“Wait, what happened last night?” Avi asked, confused.

“Hold up, You don’t- oh of course, duh. You weren’t at the summer solstice.”   
Magnus bit his lip and took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling for a moment or two before looking back at Avi.

“Okay, so first there was a blast, and everyone fainted except for Merle and Taako and me. And then basically the sky started making everything possible noise in the world, and there were hundreds of thousands bright white like… eyes, in the sky. And no one saw it but us. It was like, nightmare material.”

“Are you okay?” Was the first thing on Avi’s mind, his hand already worriedly on Magnus shoulder. Avi was just slightly taller than him as he stood on the treadmill like this. He looked uncomfortable and worried, which was the weirdest look on Magnus Burnsides.

“I'm- yeah I'm fine. I guess it was scary stuff, but more like… what did it mean, you know? What was it?”

“It sounds crazy.” Avi said, agreeing with a nod. “You think it has something to do with the artifacts?”

Magnus made a pained ‘I don't know’ sound, and Avi realised he’d best drop the subject altogether.

“If it's a danger, you know…” Magnus said, his voice small, “I’d have no idea how to protect everyone against it.”

Avi stepped off the treadmill, and moved in front of Magnus, pulling at his arm and making him- annoyingly, smaller than the other man again. “You're not alone Mag. You hear me? It's not all on you.”

Magnus’ eyes were on him, soft, like those of an old soul’s. Making Avi once again wonder if Magnus had seen and lived more of the world than he would ever let on.   
“Avi... sometimes…” he sighed, cryptically.   
Then more confidently; “Maybe...”

“What?” Avi demanded, looking up at him with his brows in a confused furrow.

And Magnus stepped in closer, a hand cupping around Avi’s jaw almost shyly. Avi felt his entire grown-ass man body starting to shake just under the gentle touch.

“Avi, do you mind this?” Magnus asked him, voice just above a whisper.

“No I don’t.” Avi breathed back somehow, shaking his head.

Magnus leaned in somehow even closer, his nose brushing Avi’s and causing sick flips in his stomach.

“An’ this? Okay?” Magnus pressed.

Avi made some kind of confirming sound back at him, nodding, slinging an arm around Magnus’ neck to stabilize himself and show the fighter that there was nothing he’d like better than what he was being offered.

For a moment they just stared at each other, wide eyed; processing if or if not he was just being toyed with, mostly, on Avi’s side. Then Magnus smiled at him, bright and happy, comforting. And suddenly it didn’t feel like such an unrealistic situation anymore. Perhaps this could be after all. Avi smiled back.

And then, after less than a moment, they both leaned in at the same time, bumped clumsily, chuckling. Magnus tilted his head somewhat, and suddenly they were kissing.

Magnus rested his free hand on the small of his back, as the other moved to the back of Avi’s head, fingers sliding into the messy updo as he pulled him closer. Avi, too hyperaware to have any of these instincts, had no idea what to do with his other hand. He knew but one thing; he didn’t want to end this soon, and so he simply just circled both arms around Magnus’ shoulders.

He wanted to climb the damned man, be impossibly closer, wrap his legs around his waist and have his hair pulled at. Bite at his lips, rut his body against him, get lost in passion, leave his own marks along the scars on Magnus’ tanned shoulders. Do a great many things, everything he had fantasized about on his own in the past week and before. Tell Magnus that in the six years he had spent working on the moon, he had been the first one to really catch his eye.

But this was their first kiss. And Avi’s first kiss in a very long time. He was going way too fast. If he was too eager, wouldn’t that turn Magnus off? Perhaps he was already disappointing, he wasn’t a very experienced kisser. He was-

Opening his mouth under lips and letting out a shuddering sigh through his nose as Magnus deepened the kiss for them. And Avi’s mind went blank, holding on for dear life as they found a pace.   
And meanwhile he could vaguely feel Magnus’ hand on his back, travelling up rather than down and cradling the back of his neck like he was some kind of precious cargo. And inwardly it made Avi scoff, because Magnus too knew that he had just been powerlifting over 225 lbs. But honestly? That overprotective caring side was also exactly what made Avi so very fond of the other man.

And then they broke away, Avi staring up at Magnus wide eyed and slack jawed.

Magnus had his eyes closed, his hands had moved just as little as Avi’s had. He looked flushed and vulnerable. Avi unlocked his arms from around Magnus’ neck, and placed his hands on his chest.

“We have to talk about this.” Magnus sighed, his eyes still closed. Avi nodded, even though Magnus couldn't see it.

“We do,” he muttered, “We do, before you're going to break my heart real bad here, Mag, I'm going to be honest with you.”

“No. Avi?” Magnus said, his eyes flying open as he grabbed Avi’s hands on his chest into his own. “You know how I've always said how I’ve had my share of love in my life. That it's over for me, ‘cuz I can never top that?”

Avi looked away, looked down. There was no possibility of an answer with a good ending here. Shit. He had hoped- he had thought-  
“Listen, I'm no Julia-” he started, feeling his throat contract.

Magnus shook his head slowly and squeezed his hands. “No, you're Avi. And I don't want you to be anything but that.”

“But that's not good enough, is it?” Avi whispered at the ground, feeling his heart sink.

Magnus’ hands tightened even more.  
“Avi, stop for two seconds. Can I tell you something? Can… can I be honest with you?”

Avi’s eyes went up, finding a soft smile on Magnus’ face, yet avoiding his eyes. Nervous. “You know how,” Magnus started, evidently having difficulty with this, “when you keep telling yourself lies, you start to believe them?”

Avi blinked at him owlishly. “Yeah?”

“I think I’ve liked you since the beginning, but I kept denying it- you know. ‘It's not for me’ and all that. But I'm starting to think that maybe it is. Because you make me feel things I want more of, Avi.”

Magnus looked at him directly in the eyes now, letting out a breath so deep it seemed like it had been stuck there. Avi knew the feeling, he had his breath stuck down there right now.

“I want to give it a try. Uh, ‘it’ being us. But only if you want it too.”

A smile crossed over Avi’s face, and he freed one of his hands from Magnus’ grasp to gently place it on his face.

“Magnus, do you mind this?”

Magnus chuckled in relief, and slowly shook his head under Avi’s touch, pulling him in at the hip. “No, I don’t.”

Avi angled his face up, brushing his nose against Magnus’ cheek. “This too?”

“I get it,” Magnus said, still chuckling slightly and stroking hairs behind Avi’s ear. Avi grinned, and then they were kissing once more. Avi, relieved and giggling, rested his head on Magnus’ shoulder as they parted and said;

“Yeah, I think I’d like to try that too.”

-

The next day Avi was just a little more than an hour into his night shift as he heard the soft clicking of the door of the hangar. It was dark inside, the light of the stars around the moonbase brightening the room through the great glass skylights. Along with Avi’s candleholder; an old empty bottle of brandy that was now filled with candlewax, and which’ remains of a candle didn’t provide quite enough light either.

Avi sat at a table near the stairs, scraping grease of an engine part he had screwed open. Heavy footsteps echoed through the room, and Avi kept his face down as he continued working, though unable to fight a massive grin from his face, as harshly as he bit his lips.

“Avi,” Magnus called him in a stage whisper, “Avi, I want you to meet someone.”

Avi’s brows creased. It wasn’t exactly preferable to have all these people hanging out at this place at night. Magnus was fine- but… He looked up, seeing only Magnus happy face leaning over his workspace and his hands covering an orb-shaped object.

Avi tilted his head questioningly, setting his work down and wiping his hands on a cloth. “What’s that?”

Magnus opened his hands a little more, uncovering a glass ball, filled with water and a… fish?

“Avi, this is Lord Steven Q Fletcher Esquire III, the goldfish. He’s my new buddy and he’s great.” Magnus said, brushing a large thumb over the glass lovingly.

Avi leaned over, smiling at the ball. “Will just ‘Steven’ do?”

The goldfish, arguably conscious of what they were saying, made a little flip in it’s ball.

“Yeah, I mean, probably. That’s what I call him too. Want to hold him?”

Avi watched his smudged hands and bit his lip. “I would but I don’t think…”

“That’s fine,” Magnus assured him, closing his large hands around Avi’s to carefully pass him the ball.

Avi turned it this ways and that, and looked back at Magnus. “He’s a great little dude. Where did you get him?”

“Fantasy Costco.” Magnus grinned easily, taking the ball back from Avi like one would take back a baby.

“Are you alone tonight?” Magnus then asked him, sitting down on Avi’s table.

Avi sighed at him sadly. “Just me and my machines, man.”

Avi watched how Magnus placed the ball with Steven carefully back into his bag, and then placed a hand on top of Avi’s.

“Would you and your machines like some company?”

Avi smiled and turned his hand to hold Magnus’, “Yeah, sounds cool.”

They hung out, and it was so familiar, Avi going on with his business and giving input to Magnus’ overly detailed storytelling about his day. Then, Avi running some failing tests on the engine after he put it together, Magnus whittling something as he sat next to him. A lot of sighing, and paging through his manuals, and Magnus just watching him. Then, after half an hour of Avi talking against the burly fighter in what they had dubbed ‘the Rubber Ducky Language’, something that they had perfected at this point, Avi found the troubling spot of the engine, and finally got it running.   
It was way past midnight, and Magnus was leaning up against the sphere Avi was working on grinning at him sleepily and fingering at a tiny screw nut when Avi realised that they were, as they had both agreed, more than friends.   
He held his hand out, and Magnus dropped the nut into it. But they had done that a hundred times before.  
Avi screwed it on, pushed his goggles up to his forehead, and smiled, then let himself fall against Magnus’ shoulder. Magnus settled an arm around him, lazily resting his head on top of Avi’s.   
“Hey, Do you think we have to tell anyone?” Magnus asked, his voice a bit small.

“Well,” Avi muttered, brushing his nose against Magnus’ shirt, “do you want to?”

Magnus was quiet for a long time, and honestly, that was enough of an answer to Avi. And he wasn’t upset or disappointed, he kind of understood where the other man was coming from, honesty, he was kind of relieved. He didn’t really feel like everyone having opinions about this, this was their thing. And if it didn’t work out, he didn’t want people pitying him or take sides. He just wanted to stay friends.   
“I mean, we’re still figuring out if this works for us, right?” Avi tried.

And Magnus smiled at him, relief flooding his face as well. “Yeah, it’s our business if it works or not. And if anyone figures it out, then it’s probably working.”

Avi smiled at that as well. “Sounds good to me.”

-

The next week, Avi found out that ‘not telling anyone’ went hand in hand with ‘hiding it in public’. At that was kind of frustrating.

He couldn’t really linger as he embraced the other man as he entered the barracks at poker night. He couldn’t really hold Magnus hand as they walked over the quad. He couldn’t pick breadcrumbs from Magnus’ sideburns and peck his cheek like a doting lover as he and Merle passed him both carrying giant sandwiches.

They just had the nights, and sometimes the early mornings as they trained together. Though most of the night time they spent a lot of time on rubber ducky talk and catching up on their days. And honestly, Avi felt really good about that too.

They hadn’t really ‘tried’ anything big yet, nothing more than kissing and light to heavy petting. They hadn’t really jumped into sex or anything. Awkward boners were a thing, but were mainly ignored. It was obviously still a bridge too far for Magnus, and Avi honestly didn’t mind. It was just not the time nor place. It was just great to have somebody to hold, and curl up against after a stressful day.

And now Magnus was running after him, trying to outrun him and tackle him to the ground. He was holding a wooden training sword and his hair was sweaty and the icosagon was filled with their poker-night party and dozens of BoB co-workers in the audience as they sparred together.

Avi tried to move past Killian, not expecting her to step back as he did, fell down, and had Magnus’ wooden sword against his chest. Avi heaved for breath, his back on the stone ground of the arena, and his cheeks burning with adrenaline and embarrassment for being downed son easily.

Magnus just stared at his face, dumbfoundedly and Avi stared back, and barely heard it when Killian called; “Avi! Fight back! It’s three against two like this if you don’t do anything!”

“No,no! Avi please! Keep doing nothing, darling, you’re totally fine!” Taako chirped up, casting a gust of wind that made Robbie drop yet another cocktail-bomb thingie onto his feet. It caught fire.

Magnus reached out his hand, and quickly pulled Avi up, allowing him just enough time so that he could get his sword.  
“One on one.” Magnus said, holding up his sword of his own.

And Avi honestly tried, but he was not nearly as good as a swordfighter as Magnus was, and each time he found an opening on the fighter, Avi found that he just didn’t use it in case it would hurt Magnus. Soon enough, Killian bumped him to the side with a bark of laughter, taking in Magnus herself, leaving Merle to Avi.  
  
And then the intercom interrupted them loudly, carrying the voice of the director as she requested the three reclaimers to her office.

And the crowd was bummed out, but not as much as Killian as she lowered her weapon and said;   
“Aw man, I was just about to- to put the hurt on y’all. I was just about to- to use my limit break. Y’all don’t even know what I’m capable of.”

They broke it off, giving each other a great impressive set of personal handshakes and gaining a few more hoots from the audience. They then scurried back after each other back into the dressing rooms. Not that there was much to dress out of.   
Taako was loudly complaining that he had been burning spell slots for nothing. Merle was changing out of his boots into other’s nodding along vividly even though Avi hadn’t seen him casting a single spell.

Robbie pulled a hoodie over the ratty t-shirt and waved as he left the room.   
Magnus, Killian and Avi were the only ones to actually have to dress out of their shit, and were undoing the series of armour straps they had just been doing up.   
Killian sighed and said; “I’m gonna take a shower.”

Avi hummed, continuing the unstrapping of his shoulderpads. He’d probably be beeped anytime soon if the three would have to go planetside for a mission. Probably no time for showers, though he was sweaty as hell.

Taako and Merle impatiently lingered in the opening of the door waiting for Magnus, until Taako just slammed his hat on top of his head and announced; “Ehhh listen, hombre. I’m gonna have to grab some stuff from our room if we’re gonna be shot off.” Merle pointed at himself, making Avi grin at the dwarf-like gesture.   
“And I’m coming along.”   
Taako grinned, placing his hand on the dwarf’s shoulder. “And he’s coming along.”

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead you two, I got better company here anyway,” said Magnus, sticking out his tongue and pausing mid-strap to pull Avi on his right into a half hug. Avi chuckled, flustered.

“Very cute,” Taako smirked, turning on his heels. “Let’s go dwarven sidekick! No- Merle, we’re not going to hold hands-”   
“I thought we were having a bonding moment!”  
“Bonding moment yourself, homie. Who knows where you put those juicy tickle sticks of yours.”

Merle shrugged, winked, and pulled the door behind the two of them. Magnus laughed.

“They’re a riot,” he said, almost apologetically. Avi just smiled back at him. “They’re great.”

“Yeah, they are.” Magnus said, returning to the straps on his legs with a smile.

“So how long do you think you’ll be gone for this?” Avi dared to ask, unfastening his chestplate lastly and dropping it to the ground.

Magnus sighed deeply, “You know, that’s the shitty part. I have no idea. Could be a day, could be weeks!”

“Could be forever…” Avi muttered, and that had Magnus turning towards him with furrowed brows. His hands were on Avi’s now bared shoulders, and his eyes were on him even heavier.

“Hey. None of that.”

Avi smiled slightly. “I mean you are pretty strong.”  
  
One of Magnus’ hands moved up to the nape of his neck, and honestly, Avi was already leaning in. He was tugging Magnus forward and Magnus fingers were already heavily tangled into his hair and Avi was already grabbing for more, pulling closer and moaning into Magnus mouth as a tongue grazed his lips.

And Killian was already done showering.  
She came into the dressing room toweling her hair and wolf whistled. “Ohh, hey! That’s kind of unexpected! Well no it isn’t, Taako already told me, but I didn’t think I’d be the first one to see it. Though, pretty cute. I’m supportive.”

Magnus and Avi had jumped off each other, and were now nearly on opposing sides of the bench. Avi’s eyes were wide and on Magnus. “Taako knows!?”

“Well to be honest, he’s the one that made me take some initiative. Like break some boundaries and stuff. Killian please don’t go around telling anyone about this, it’s kind of our thing and we-”

Killian made a low noise in her throat, smirking teasingly, “Hmmm, I don’t know dude, it’s kind of hot gossip. You know, I’ll let y’all figure this out yourselves. Later!”

“She won’t tell anyone, I know her.” Avi said as she slammed the door, then smiled wickedly. And if she doesn’t, I’ll tell everyone about her crush on Carey.”

Magnus’ brows furrowed again. “Carey?”

“Oh,” Avi smiled, “you two would totally hit it off.”

He felt a vibration at his upper arm, and then heard two short beeps. He kissed Magnus’ cheek quickly. “Gotta run, you too. I’ll see you in a minute.”

“When you’ll shoot me down.” Magnus said, nodding and standing up as well.

Avi pulled a face, then chuckled.   
“Please don’t say it like that.”

-

It was a little more than a minute, but no more than twenty when the three reclaimers came walking into the hangar. Avi had a rag in his hand, kind of polishing away some of the dirt on the sphere, which was a lost case, but it was better than doing nothing.

“Hey!” Merle yelled as they moved up the stairs, “did you like it when we kicked your ass down at the omaka-braka-maka-fran?”

Taako snorted, turning to his companion only to realise he didn’t know how to correct him exactly. “The omega-”

Merle frowned up at him. “The omaka-braka-maka-splaka-fran”

Taako swatted at him, “The omega-sphere?”

Avi scratched at his neck, a bit confused. It wasn’t a very great taunt.   
“Are you talking about the icosagon? Yeah, uh, I don’t think that fight- I think you’re misremembering it. I got in quite a few good blows on you guys- I love you guys though, you-” he rambled.

Magnus was smirking at him, “Listen, we don’t wanna talk about who blew who. We gotta go!”

Avi went fire red in a split second, spluttering just a tad too loud, ”Oh, I see what- you’re taking- you turned my words on me. You got me again!”

Taako smiled, eyeing between the two of them, and Avi just couldn’t shake that he knew. That he had known all the time. He hadn’t even told Johann yet. Perhaps Taako didn’t know but just knew.  
“It’s classic,” the elf said, “Look, can we go?”

“Classic Magnus!” Merle praised, patting up at Magnus to only reach just above his rear and gain a weird look from the fighter.

“Can we please start an adventure now?” tried Magnus.

Avi nodded hastily, pressing a few buttons that opened the door of the sphere. “Yeah, hop in- hop into the fun ball.”

Taako lingered, turning back to Avi and putting on what had to be, as Magnus had often described it; his business face.   
“Isn’t there, uh, some sort of anti-nausea medication that we’ve received before, or am I misremembering that?”

Avi smiled, fine, if he could become friends with Taako over his brandy only, then that was fine with him. “Oh yeah, happens to the best of us, buddy, don’t even worry about it,” He nodded, grabbing his jacket from a chair nearby, and searching his breast pocket. Taako immediately made grabby hands for it.

“Actually, if you guys remember, I keep this on hand for when- when new folks show up, if they, uh, are having trouble getting acclimated, give em a lil nip of hooch…” Taako was still gulping, and Avi tilted his head a little at him, almost impressed. “Uh, so if you guys want a nip of hooch to help ya on the way down, uh, that’s- that’s fine…” Avi, seeing his expensive alcohol rapidly disappear into the elf, grabbed the container back from him and screwed the lid back up.  
“But I’m worried-- I’m worried if you make it a habit, then it’s a problem…”

Taako smirked at him, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. “They should come up with a name for that, making a habit out of drinking.”

Avi snorted at him, reassured as Taako gave him a quick wink and whispered him a thank you.

Avi scraped his throat, clapping his hands together. “So, why don’t you guys hop right in that fun ball and I’ll- I’ll get you going.”

Magnus smiled at him, stepping in first this time. “We do that.”  
Merle hopped in right after him, yelping, “I do that.” After Taako too, ‘did that’, the doors of the sphere closed behind them, and Avi set up the program to lauch the three towards their destination.

He called after them, “Good luck! Uh, have a good t- have a good time down there on the b-- in the- in the… world.”

And then they were gone for just a little longer than two weeks, and Avi was doing great! And if he was talking to himself during his night shifts, that wasn’t worrying at all; just force of habit.


	6. Friends who kiss. In semi-secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOly shit I updated. I don't know if it's winter or university that's draining all inspiration and energy out of me, but turns out I already had a lot more written down than I thought. Expect the next chapter a LOT sooner. Thank you so much everyone who stuck around, this is the most love I've ever have gotten on a fic and you're what kept me determined to finish this piece. This chapter is rather lighthearted in contrast to the next heavier chapter I'm writing right now, so I hope y'all enjoy :D

Avi sat on a barstool, sipping a drink. His thigh was pressed against Johann’s and his eyes were glued on the projection on the screen in the back of the bar. The bar, Avi could never had guessed could house nearly all of the bureau’s employees in one. The goldcliff races had always been hot stuff on the moon, but now the bureau’s favourite team of reclaimers were involved, nothing had ever been hotter.

Johann sat slumped forward, his cheek in his hand, watching with disinterested interest. 

The projection showed a large cart coming up to the cart of the reclaimers on top speed, obviously aiming to ram it. For a moment there was some incomprehensible and soundless screaming on screen. The busy room fell in a complete silence of suspense. Even Johann leaned slightly more forward on his chair.

Then suddenly Magnus launched himself to the back of the cart, backing away to safety and grabbing onto a safety rail. The bar burst out in excited cheers, and Avi too felt himself clapping and laughing with excitement.  
Magnus’ face was closer on whatever kind of tool was filming him, he grinned and ran a hand through his sweaty hair in what Avi had learned to know as nervous relief. It looked fucking hot. 

“You know, Av.” Johann muttered as the cheers dimmed down, grin evident on his face. “I guess I could see what you like about him.” 

And Avi smiled back nervously, protective rather than jealous. Not jealous of Johann anyway, who was his certified aromantic friend. Yet Johann wasn’t like Magnus, Magnus who didn't really do romance anymore, although part of his heart was still with his deceased wife.   
Which he had asked Johann about in a moment of panicked weakness and had the bard answering; ‘I’m pretty sure that's trauma. I don't think that man has an aromantic bone in his body. I mean, don't quote me on it, everyone is different, but-’

Avi knew Magnus liked attention, but would he like a hundred of people crushing on him?  
Was Avi even the best choice to try with? Perhaps Magnus could do better, and shouldn't settle for less, try a few things out to see if there were any that warmed his heart back to loving.   
But Avi rather liked being the only one to kiss him. Perhaps he was a little jealous after all.

“Did you ever work that out?” Johann whispered to him, his chin tilted up to look at Avi instead of the screen.

Avi brought his glass back to his lips. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to tell. They did promise not to, keep it secret.   
‘But,’ Avi told himself, ‘Taako knows’   
Magnus told him, so wasn't he allowed to take a confidant as well?

“Well,” Avi started, flushing as he placed his glass behind him on the bar and settled his hands on his lap. “So, uh, we kissed.”

Johann was smirking, his arms crossed. “And how did you trick him into that?”

Avi turned towards him, frowning and even more flustered now. “I didn't trick him! Actually, uh, actually he came to me… to ask me, hm, that. But! We, uh, we are going to keep it a secret.”

Johann squinted his eyes, skeptically and a bit worried. “Hmmm, Avi… I'm no expert, but secret relationships aren't- Wait, are you having a thing now, or no?”

Avi waved his hand at him. “Well, I mean we are, sort of- it's not really a secret, but sort of, discreet? It's, uh, uh-”

“Friends with-” 

“No it's not that!” 

“Friends without benefits then?”

Avi pushed at the half-elf, chuckling. “I don't really think we can label it anything yet. I guess.” We’re just trying this thing out, honestly.”

“Friends who kiss. In semi-secret.” Johann offered.

Avi sighed, resigning. “Yeah, I guess it's that.” 

-

Over the remaining two days it took for the reclaimers to come back home, Avi started to come down with a nasty cold. Dripping nose, heavy headaches and sneezes that echoed loudly through the entire hangar. 

“Hey!” Midu’s low raspy voice rang through the room after the sixth sneeze in fifteen minutes. “Summer’s over, son. Perhaps you ought to wear something that isn't a t-shirt.” 

Avi hummed loudly in agreement, sniffling, standing up and wiping his smear covered hands on a dirty rag that didn't quite do the job. He took a quick look at his lightblue guard-jacket that hung over his chair, and bit his lip. He knew himself well enough to know that he would have soiled the entire thing at the end of the day. It would never get clean again. He needed something else- something.

“Uh, I’ll be right back. Getting a jacket!” He announced to Midu, who gave a cock of his head in support from off the top of the stairs. 

Avi searched his dresser thoroughly. He didn’t like to think of himself as a poser, but he really had mainly shirts and tank-tops in his gardrobe. Only, at a bottom drawer he hadn’t touched since before summer, his hand slid over a dark brown leather. You could get grease out of leather, right? Perfect. But then as he pulled it out, he realised where he got this jacket from. It was Magnus’. 

As he put it on, it was still a little too big around the shoulders. But warm, the smell, strong enough to be smelled even with his stuffed nose, was still there. Burned wood, smoke, a campfire of some sorts, coming off from the leather like it had been smoked out like a fish. Avi sat on the ground, reliving the memory of Magnus handing him the jacket on one of the last cold days of last winter, stunned how far they had come from there. Perhaps not exceptionally far, actually, but, well, the journey wasn't over yet.

As Avi finally made his way to the barracks, his beeper rang twice, and he sped up his pace. There were plenty of people planetside at the moment, but today… Avi had an extra little bit of silent hope. There then was a loud bright sound, and the voice of the director echoed with magical enhancement through the hallway Avi was passing. A hint of excitement shone through her voice as she stated;  
“Reclaimers Taako, Highchurch and Burnsides will be arriving at the Bureau of Balance. Their estimated arrival is in ten minutes.”

Avi nearly tripped over his own feet. Why was she announcing this? It only became clear as Avi walked back into the hangar, his eyes widening as he saw the crowd that had gathered around the staircase. Avi excused himself politely but determined, pushing through the bureau members so he could climb up the stairs to reach his control panel and do his damn job. 

He calibrated, pushed the buttons right and waited for the pod to arrive. Finally they stepped out, one by one. The trio seemed out of it, if not a little grave. Avi worried for a moment that something awful might have happened anyway, perhaps they lost the relic after all? Magnus stepped out last. His eyes were red, Avi immediately noticed, puffy, like he had been crying. Perhaps he had a cold as well, Avi reassured himself, wiping his nose as he pressed at his controls for the system shutdown. But then Magnus seemed to notice the gathered crowd, the cheering and clapping, and his Elven companion who was grinning and nudging him. Magnus wiped his eyes quickly and broke into a watery smile.

Avi wanted to get him out of there as soon as possible. 

He ran towards the three, feeling snot dripping from his nose charmingly and wiping furiously. He put up his brightest smile and clapped his hands cheerfully as he posed himself in front of them.

“Guys!” He cheered, “That was amazing! We were watching all of that! We watched the whole battle wagon race, that was like the most exciting, thrilling thing I’ve ever- I’ve ever seen; you guys are nuts!”

Magnus looked at him, his smile breaking into something sincere and fondly that made the weight of worry on Avi’s shoulders evaporate. “You didn’t see the part where I used the bathroom before the race, did you?” He said, scratching at a cut on his cheek. 

Avi flushed, making wildly denying gestures, “No no, we were just watching through the pylons, we didn’t…” Realising that the fighter was only teasing him by the increasing smirk on his voice, Avi crossed his arms in front of him defensively. He sighed and lowered his voice. “I don’t watch you every time you go to the bathroom…”

Magnus simply smirked at him, winking. “Okay…”

“I mean… h-h-how would I even… heh heh heh…” Avi fidgeted, lifting a hand in panic, Merle probably knew by now as well, by the way he was smirking up at Avi like that. He felt like his cheeks were on fire. “...get my h-h-hands on that kind of technology.

Taako smiled and leaned forward to Avi conspiringly, “Uh, listen did you, did you… what would it have been like if you had only listened to it though, can you imagine.” 

Avi had no idea what make of that. “Well no, because like, the sick stunts and jumps and stuff you guys were doing, like that would--”

“Wouldn’t have been the same, right? Yeah, just… wouldn’t have translated.” Taako interrupted him, nodding vigorously and approvingly. He only then realised that Taako was probably changing the subject for him. The Elf seemed mellow. It had probably something to do with the reason Magnus was teary eyed and why Merle was so quiet. Avi just hoped they would tell him why.

“Yeah, I really liked uh, I liked how you made that one goblin sled go up in the sky and it was like fwoojshh,” Avi nodded, accompanying his sound effects with extravagant gestures, “and then you were like “eat this!” and maybe you didn’t say that but that’s how I remember it, and then it like shot into the sky and exploded and all the people on it died.”

Merle frowned, seemingly a little grouchy as he peered at Avi. “Should we have gotten some kinda payment for that? I mean isn’t there some kinda rights, we didn’t sign anything away.”

Taako looked down at the dwarf, considering this, “Yeah, that’s true.”

Magnus had his arms crossed in front of his chest, smiling, and Avi was glad to see that they were still just toying with him. “You’ll be hearing from our fantasy lawyers.” He said.

Taako giggled, “Did you get on our… you’re part of our Patreon, right? You’re paying for this access.” 

Avi rolled his eyes, they had no idea what kind of payment was awaiting them, the renovations that had been going on in the old lower quarters as their successes kept up. The director was more cheerful than Avi had seen her in all the years he had been employed here. And then suddenly this morning she had seemed upset as she had announced the ending of the reclaimers’ mission. The playful look vanished from Avi’s face as he pointed his finger at the group, he shouldn't be keeping them away from their jobs. The director… oh shit- 

“Oh! That’s right! The director wants to see you as quick as you possibly can in her chambers. She needs to uh, she needs to dispose of the- of the relic.”

The other three seemed to startle a bit as well, “Oh yeah!” Said Magnus.

Avi nodded quickly, “You should get over there, you should get over there post-haste. She uh… she seemed um, a lil’ upset.”

“Uhoh!” Taako muttered, seemingly immediately a lot less motivated.

Magnus sighed deeply and looked down. “Ehwww…” he muttered. 

Avi crossed his eyes then and suddenly sneezed loudly, catching it in his elbow just in time. Oh fuck, now there was snot gathered on the leather jacket. Ew. He pressed his arm flush against his body, as if that would help out.

“Sorry ‘bout that.” Avi muttered hopelessly.

“No problem,” Taako smiled at him, so sweetly that Avi wondered if Merle and Magnus had replaced him with a new elf without anyone noticing.

Merle pat him on his arm as they went, as high as he could reach. It was a bit awkward. “Bless you.” He told Avi.

Avi smiled at him, feeling like a groupie as he kept shooing people to the side as he led the three men out of the hangar.

-

It was hours later, and Avi sat on the ground with his back against the wall of the hangar, practicing code on a new type of table that Lucas had introduced him to when he had arrived a week prior. It was pretty damn hard. Magnus’ leather jacket was still draped around his shoulders, and Avi sat half curled up in the dark, drowsily typing in pieces of data and wiping his runny nose absentmindedly every now and then.

He looked up as he heard the soft clicking of doors, and felt a giddy smile break his face as he saw Magnus walking up. He stopped at the stairs, looking up, and Avi looked right back at him. 

“Don’t like your new reverse penthouse?” He quipped, snoozing the tablet and putting it on a table behind him. He’s in the dark now, illuminating himself with nothing more than the light of the moon that shone on the base. 

He could still see the faint outline of Magnus as he shrugged his shoulders. “I came to pick up a workaholic grease monkey, have you seen him around?” 

“Never heard of him.” Avi smiled, slowly coming up to his feet as he moved towards the stairs. 

Magnus crowded in on him as he reached the bottom, his hands settling on his hips for a moment, making Avi’s eyes widen in surprise. They travelled back up then, settling down upon his shoulders, the leather of the jacket. Avi looked up. 

“You’re wearing my jacket.” Magnus said, voice soft, his mouth smiling and his eyes penetrating. Avi immediately felt nervous, was there something wrong with that?

“I-,” he stammered, “Yes.”

“I thought you threw it out- Didn't know if I was supposed to ask it back. You never wore it again after, I thought maybe- ‘hey maybe he's embarrassed’, you know?” Magnus muttered, his thumb brushing over the leather softly. 

Avi couldn't tell him he had hidden it away because it gave him hope every time he looked at it, that’d be dumb. “It's only now getting chilly enough for something like this, I guess. I guess I also felt like- maybe it was a little intimate to me.” 

“I guess it was a little intimate to me too,” Magnus said softly. 

He kept looking at him, then reached up and brushed his thumb over Avi’s cheek. Avi sniffled, and Magnus frowned at him. ”You have a cold, what are you doing here on the ground at night?”

“Programming,” Avi shrugged, slowly easing into it. He wrapped his arms around the fighter’s middle and resting his head on his chest. Somehow, weeks into this it was still fresh enough for him to forget that Magnus wasn’t the only one allowed to initiate these things between them. 

Magnus brushed his hand through the sagged out bun on the back of his head, holding him close. They’re both quiet as they listen to the soft sounds of machinery around them. Avi wondered to himself if he should ask why Magnus had been upset when they came up at the base. But he didn’t want to ruin the mood, if there was any. 

“I told Merle too.” Magnus then muttered into Avi’s hair. “Sorry.”

“I figured,” Avi muttered back, muffled by his chest. He leaned back a bit to look up.

“Taako kept teasing and Merle started guessing and feeling left out and we’re all too close for this kind of secrets, I guess. But I’m still sorry, we were gonna keep this our thing.”

“It’s okay,” Avi smiled, shaking his head, it was all very silly. “I told Johann. He asked me about it. I guess keeping it a secret is a bit too romance novel-ly anyway. Are they cool with it though? I mean, not too weird?”

Magnus shook his head, “Nah, they like you a lot. They’re glad. For me, for you.” He snickered. “Merle told me to talk you into getting him more brandy.”

Avi smiled, “Oh! He’ll like his candlenights present, then.” 

Magnus chuckled. “It’s September, Avi.” 

“So?” Avi shrugged, not seeing what that had to do with that.

“I missed you.” Magnus said at that, pulling away and looking so completely honest that it made Avi blush. “You’re so… nice, Avi.”

Avi chuckled, a bit awkwardly and overwhelmed, “Uh, thanks?”

Magnus shook his head. “No, I don’t mean it like that.” Magnus took his hand from Avi’s hair to scratch his scruffy sideburns. “It’s a bit, you know, when I talk to you I feel so… chill. Like, you’re very considerate, and accepting, and uh, I don’t have to watch what I’m saying cuz’ you won’t think I’m dumb or stuff, yeah? I don't have to prove myself with you, I can just... be cool”

Avi frowned a bit, “The others don't think you're dumb, Mag.”

Magnus made a doubtful and slightly pained sound, “I don't know, maybe not. But nevertheless, everything is a constant challenge of wit and sharp banter and with you, it’s never that. It's just, you make me feel…” Magnus bit his lip and shied away a little bit, “Look it's sappy, alright?”

Avi chuckled at him, a dopey smile undoubtedly glued to his face as he poked at Magnus’ chest. “Go on, say it.” 

“You make me feel safe, like I can let down my guard.” 

Avi reached up for him, cupping Magnus’ cheeks between his hands. “You’re always so busy trying to keep others safe. I’m happy I can help, sort of.” 

“You do. You do help.” Magnus said, placing a hand on the back of Avi’s head and pulling him to level for a kiss.

Avi melted into it easily, dropping his hands to tug at Magnus neck and lower him.

“I missed you too.” Avi confessed as they broke off after a while. “I didn't know who else to do my rubber ducky talking to. Ended up talking to myself, which really annoyed Midu.”

“Maybe you need a placeholder ducky for when I’m not there.” Magnus said. It was obviously meant teasingly, but Avi could see the other man clearly entertaining the thought in his head.

“Well,” Avi smiled, tilting his head slightly. “Or maybe I just need the real thing."

“Well,” Magnus parroted, leaning back in and smiling broadly enough for it to shine through his eyes. He opened his arms wide, “I’m here for as long as I’m here.”


End file.
